The North Royalton Energy Cost Savings Program is nearing completion. The plan for the program began last summer.
In the early part of 2019, the North Royalton City Council approved two ordinances earlier last April, allowing the city to go forward with the program. The ordinances approved the contract, as well as set up the financing. One ordinance authorized the Mayor to enter into an energy savings performance contract with Leopardo, LLC. In order to fund the project, an additional ordinance was adopted that provided for the issuance and sale of aggregate principal amount of bonds not to exceed $2,911,000. Those bonds paid for the costs of constructing and installing the city-wide energy conservation project.
Leopardo offered a free energy audit, looking at all city buildings and focused things such as lighting and heating unit efficiency. The annual cost savings the city would reap was projected to total about $241,972 for the 20 year period. According to Leopardo officials, these would be guaranteed savings to the city. According to Eric Dean, North Royalton Finance Director, the cost of the improvements will be realized through the energy savings down the road.
The first area addressed was Fire Station #1 on Royalton Road. The HVAC was addressed, by demolishing the RTU units and installing new ones, and safety rails. Building Weatherization, as well as retrofitting the lighting to LED then took place.
The Police Department had retrofitted LED lighting, the building weatherized and windows replaced. The condensing units on the HVAC were replaced and the cooling equipment reconditioned. New Voice Over IP was installed and the server upgraded and Cabling installed. Voice Over IP conversion and closed-circuit television server upgrade with camera installation have also been installed.
Fire Station #2, located on York Road had HVAC cooling equipment reconditioned. The Building was also weatherized and roof and gutters are in the process of being replaced. The lighting was also retrofitted to LED.
The City Hall building had reconditioning of the HVAC cooling unit. The lighting was retrofitted to LED and the building weatherized.
The Parks Maintenance Building had its roof replaced and the building weatherized. The HVAC unit was replaced and the lighting retrofitted to LED.
The Service Department building had the HVAC replaced. The building was weatherized and the roof replaced. The lighting was retrofitted to LED.
The Cemetery Maintenance Building lighting will be retrofitted to LED and the HVAC cooling unit has been reconditioned. The building will be weatherized and roof replaced.
The Animal Control building HVAC cooling unit will be reconditioned. The entrance door seals are being replaced and the lighting retrofitted to LED.
In addition, wireless thermostats have been installed throughout the city buildings. Traffic lights throughout the city have been retrofitted to LED. Regarding the Street Lighting upgrade to LED, “this portion of the project is now underway, after the signing of the contract with First Energy,” according to Leopardo officials. “First Energy will replace the city’s 650 streetlights with LEDs now that the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUC) approved the plan that reduced the up-front cost for new LED streetlights”
“Right now, everything that we have expected is being done,” said Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz. “The big one is the street lights, which is what the residents will notice. With the transformation of the more efficient lighting, HVAC and other improvements being made, I look forward to start getting the discounts and start saving the money.”
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer